~@~@~ Fallen Ch.23
 

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Kay heard her, before she saw her; a noticeable silence had fallen in the usually loud hospital, except of course for the sound of her tennis shoes against the sterilized linoleum of the floor, as she stomped down the hall, stopping at her door, before throwing it open. She looked up just in time to see the door fly open and then just as quickly shut with a bang leaving the fuming doctor inside.

“Who the HELL are the Cranes, and why is my boss such a coward where there concerned?” Jody lifted a finger to silence the girl before adding.” And don’t tell me that they’re the richest family in town.”

“ Okay, they’re the WEALTHIEST family in town, and basically the world, they have money on top of money , power on top of that, and toped with more money, people are scarred of them because they can destroy someone’s’ life with a single phone call.” “Or at least some of them can, well really just Alistair, the rest are questionable, except for Sheridan, who’s pretty much harmless unless you’re a Lopez-Fitzgerald, and Julian’s who’s usually pretty drunk.” “Why do you ask?”

“I was just asked…. No...Ordered to attend some party they’re throwing, from my esteemed boss Dr. Russell.” Jody said the name with disgust, and annoyance, making her opinion of her employer clear.

“Hey you should be excited; a party at Crane Mansion is sure to entertaining, good food, excellent liquor if Julian is hosting, good music, and then there is the entertainment portion of the evening.”

“What entertainment?”

“Who knows with Cranes, the first party I attended was where we found out about Ethan being my half-brother, the next one someone tried to kill Julian.” “ If they’re parties are themed, I say the next one is going to be a paternity shocker, but doubt quote me on it, I want to be surprised when you come back and tell me all about it.” Kay said as she lay back against her bed folding her arms under her head, and began wondering who was next on the Crane chopping block, but the short laugh Jody gave had her raising an eyebrow.

“ Come back and tell you…. no that’s not going to happen, if going is such a treat I’ll release you in time for you to attend as my guest.”

The shock of the statement almost sent Kay tumbling out of her bed, as she gaped at her doctor.” I can’t go; you yourself said I was suicidal.”

“From the sounds of things, everyone that attends these parties are a suicidal, one more with credentials won’t bother them.”
 

“ANTONIO.”

Hearing his name being caused him to pause, he was still getting used to being back in a small town where you knew everyone, he just hoped it wasn’t another old classmate readying to give him ‘condolences’ on his engagement to Sheridan, he had a feeling there were more out spite then pity. He turned he head and nearly groaned out loud Sam Bennet, was not who he wanted to see right now. Heel he didn’t think he could look any Bennet in the eye right now.

Feelings of guilt and shame had settled in his stomach shortly after his conversation with Jody, shame for losing control so easily, and guilt for not being sorry enough about the other. Pushing the feelings aside he kept his eyes down, as he turned and nodded toward the older man, noting uneasily that he was in full uniform, including his service weapon. “Hello Chief Bennet, how are you today?”

Sam hesitated before nodding, and giving a small smile.” I’m fine, I‘ve heard the good news congratulations.”

“Thank you.” It was an awkward reply and sounded as if had taken great afford to come up with.

A silence begin to settle as both men just let their thoughts wander, but Sam finally fed up looked the younger man dead in the eye, and nodded toward the hospital cafeteria. “Can we talk?”

“Sure.” Antonio followed behind Sam slowly, dreading ever step. ‘Stop it Antonio, he doesn’t know what happened, so there’s no need to be worried’ the mantra ran through his head, slowly beating down the anxiety that had settled over his heart, until they reached a secluded table and he met the older man’s eyes, and without a doubt in his mind that Sam Bennet knew something. “What’s up?”

“Let’s stop these games.” Sam said as he laid his hand on the table flexing them slightly occasionally. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with my daughter…” He paused unsure how to continue, he didn’t wish to sound ungrateful, after all if not for this man , his daughter would be… well he didn’t want to think about what would have happen if he hadn’t found Kay, but certain things were becoming clearer.

When he had returned to see Kay the next morning as he promised he found Antonio there, and the same was true at lunch, and he came to say goodnight. It hadn’t meant anything at first, he had talked to Ethan and Gwen, and according to them it was all quite innocent, but he had a keener eye then his son and daughter-in-law. Looks that pasted between Kay and Antonio where very similar to looks that once passed between him, and a younger Ivy Crane, and then once again between him and Grace, they were looks of attraction. “You’re …”

“Look Sam, I know what you’re going to say, but it was just a kiss, and it won’t happen again…”

“A KISS, WHAT DAMN KISS?” Sam roared and began to rise, but caught the sight of passing security guard, and squelched his temper. He had seen looks of attraction, but hadn’t thought that either of them would act on them so quickly.

“Oh.”

“Kiss.” Sam repeated the word much lower then he previously had, and almost as if each letter was stranger to his tongue, he wanted to hit the man across from him, demand that he never step near his daughter again, but he knew he couldn’t. Hadn’t Ivy's father once told him the same thing all those years ago, and hadn’t he ignored the threat. Not to mention that Kay wasn’t nearly as docile or complacent as Ivy once was. The most important reason however stayed foremost in his mind, that Kay and Antonio needed each other, Eve had told him that earlier, her exact words were that each ‘was beneficial to the others health’. “I don’t like that.”

“Sam.”

“SHUT UP.” The older spoke through gritted teeth, as he tried to compose his thoughts. “I don’t like what is going on, you’re …” “You’re unemployed…”

“I’m looking for work.”

“But you haven’t ‘found’ any, so that makes you unemployed.” “You’re on the rebound.”

“I haven’t been lucky in love….”

“You’re old…”

“I haven’t even reached the tail end of my twenty’s.”

“You’re dying...”

“I’m partially cured.”

Tired of hearing his semantics Sam reached across the table and fisted the younger man’s collar pulling him forward. “The point is that in my wildest dreams you were never the guy I pictured with my daughter, and I don’t like it, but as she’s an adult I can’t stop her or you, but mark my words if you hurt her, you’re right back here in the hospital, and genius or no Jody McKoy won’t be able to save you.” He released him, and settled back in his chair, glaring at the man, who merely shook his head.

“I’m not  going to hurt Kay, because nothing is going to happen, that kiss was just an accident, and it won’t happen again.”

It was Sam’s turn to shake his head, as he gave the man a pitying look. “You know it’s almost kind of refreshing for you to be this naïve, like you have a say in what’s going to happen.”
 

Eve held her tongue, and counted to ten, it was becoming more and more often then that she found herself counting to ten, trying to regain her composure when dealing with T.C.

“Eve, we’re waiting.”

Looking past her husband, she glared at her sister Liz, the days when she felt guilt over her part in Liz’s life were over, and she was quickly beginning to dislike her sister. “As I told you before T.C., I’m only working with Julian to benefit the hospital; the money that this project could bring in could save thousands of lives, and attending the party is essential to its outcome.”

“Julian Crane working to save lives, I find that hard to believe, it’s just some other plot to cause trouble.”

“I hardly think after the last party he threw, that he’s likely to ‘plot’.”

“Are you defending him?” T.C. gripped his fist, as his eyes took on a glazed looked.

“No, I’m saying that working with Julian and attending this partying is necessary, a necessary evil perhaps, but still necessary.” She looked away, before meeting his eyes against, defiance clearly seen in her dark brown eyes. “ I wouldn’t be the woman you married, if I didn’t do everything in my power to make sure that Harmony General was doing all it could to help everyone one it can.”

T.C. gaze softened, and he nodding numbly, quite aware that she was right, he couldn’t ask her to change who she was midstream. “Fine, but I’m not letting him near you or the girls, I don’t trust Crane as far I can thrown him.” She reached over and laid her hand on his cheek, and gave him a quiet thank you.

Liz watched the scene with barley hidden disgust, how her sister managed to escape being caught in lie after lie time after time, she would never know, but it would soon end. Eve couldn’t keep all her secrets hidden for long, and when they came out she would be right there waiting to collect what was rightfully hers.